Holly Willoughby has reportedly made her preferences clear (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

Holly Willoughby has reportedly expressed her desires over who should replace Phillip Schofield on This Morning before she returns back from her summer break.

The Wylde Moon founder, 42, has been presenting alongside different co-hosts, including Josie Gibson and Dermot O’Leary, since Phillip, 61, resigned from ITV after admitting to lying about an affair with a runner.

Speculation had been mounting over who could replace the former Dancing On Ice host, with viewers calling for Craig Doyle to fill his shoes, before it was reported bosses had decided against hiring a permanent fixture.

Instead, it was claimed Holly will continue on the show on a permanent basis, joined by rotating co-presenters from the This Morning stable, with Steve Jones also to be brought into the fold.

But a source has claimed that Holly wants Alison Hammond to replace Phillip and become her permanent co-presenter.

ITV confirmed to Metro.co.uk Alison will be co-hosting with Holly when she returns from her holiday in Portugal on September 4 and the following day.

She hasn’t had a permanent co-host since Phillip’s departure(Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

ITV bosses reportedly believe Alison and Holly would be the ‘dream team’ (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

The insider told the Daily Mail: ‘To ITV bosses, Holly and Alison are the dream team and it also what Holly wanted and that is very important to those high up because they don’t want to lose her.

‘It shows how much Holly means business when it comes to saving This Morning from the trauma it has endured since the whole Schofield scandal. She is determined to keep things going.

‘They have this natural chemistry, they are friends and it’s something that the bosses hope the viewers will enjoy.’

Referring to Alison’s new gig as the co-presenter of Bake Off, they continued: ‘Holly would love for them to be a permanent pairing but these days Alison is in such demand across the whole television industry these days that it is impossible for her to commit to the show full-time but Holly will do her very best to make sure they are together as much as possible.’

Alison and Holly are friends off-camera and have shared pictures of themselves hanging together on Instagram.

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Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for ITV and Holly for comment.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.

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ITV bosses reportedly believe they are the ‘dream team.’